Title 79, PUBLIC LANDS

If the United States government has established pierhead lines within a waterway created under the laws of this state at any distance from the boundaries established by the state, structures may be constructed in that strip of waterway between the waterway boundary and the neares…

All waterways excavated through any state-owned tidelands or shorelands by virtue of the provisions of chapter 99, Laws of 1893, so far as they run through the tidelands or shorelands, are declared to be public waterways, free to all citizens upon equal terms, and subject to the …

If a waterway established under the laws of this state, or any portion of the waterway, has not been excavated, or is not used for navigation, or is not required in the public interest to exist as a waterway, the waterway or a portion of the waterway may be vacated by written ord…

See RCW 79.105.001.

The department is authorized to locate in all navigable rivers in this state which are subject to tidal flow, the line dividing the tidelands in the river from the shorelands in the river, and the classification or the location of the dividing line shall be final and not subject …

It is the duty of the department simultaneously with the establishment of harbor lines and the determination of harbor areas in front of any city or town or as soon as practicable to survey and plat all first-class tidelands and shorelands not previously platted as provided in RC…

The department may survey and plat any second-class tidelands and shorelands not previously platted. [ 2005 c 155 s 502; 1982 1st ex.s. c 21 s 88. Formerly RCW 79.94.030.]

The department shall prepare plats showing all tidelands and shorelands, surveyed, platted, and appraised by it in the respective counties, on which shall be marked the location of all tidelands and shorelands, with reference to the lines of the United States survey of the abutti…

In no case shall any state-owned tidelands or shorelands, otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200 to be sold, be offered for sale unless the lands have been appraised by the department within ninety days prior to the date fixed for the sale. [ 2005 c 155 s 107; 1982 1st ex.s. c …

In appraising tidelands or shorelands, the department shall appraise each lot, tract, or piece of land separately, and shall maintain a description of each lot, tract, or piece of first or second-class tidelands or shorelands, its full appraised value, the area and rate per acre …

(1) The department shall, before filing in the department's Olympia office the plat and record of appraisal of any tidelands or shorelands platted and appraised by it, publish a notice once each week for four consecutive weeks in a newspaper published and of general circulation i…

Whenever all of the owners and other persons having a vested interest in those tidelands or shorelands embraced within any plat of tidelands or shorelands or within any portion of any plat in which there are unsold state-owned tidelands or shorelands, shall file a petition with t…

If in the preparation of a replat provided for in RCW 79.125.080 by the department, it becomes desirable to appropriate any tidelands or shorelands previously sold for use as streets, alleys, waterways, or other public places, all persons interested in the title to the tidelands …

RCW 79.125.080, 79.125.090, and 79.125.420 are intended to afford a method of procedure, in addition to other methods provided in this title for the vacation of streets, alleys, waterways, and other public places platted on tidelands or shorelands. [ 2005 c 155 s 512; 1982 1st ex…

A replat of tidelands or shorelands platted shall be in full force and effect and shall constitute a vacation of streets, alleys, waterways, and other dedicated public places, when otherwise permitted by RCW 79.125.200, and the dedication of new streets, alleys, waterways, and ot…

(1) This section applies to: (a) First-class tidelands as defined in RCW 79.105.060; (b) Second-class tidelands as defined in RCW 79.105.060; (c) First-class shorelands as defined in RCW 79.105.060; (d) Second-class shorelands as defined in RCW 79.105.060, except as included with…

All second-class tidelands shall be offered for sale, when otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200 to be sold, and sold in the same manner as state lands, other than capitol building lands, but for not less than five dollars per lineal chain, measured on the United States meande…

(1) The department is authorized to lease any second-class tidelands or shorelands, whether reserved from sale, or from lease for other purposes, by or under authority of law, or not, except any oyster reserve containing oysters in merchantable quantities, to any person, for boom…

Second-class tidelands and shorelands that are separated from the upland by navigable waters shall be sold, when otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200 to be sold, but in no case at less than five dollars per acre. An applicant to purchase the tidelands or shorelands shall, at …

All state-owned tidelands and shorelands, otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200 to be sold, shall be sold on the following terms: One-tenth to be paid on the date of sale; one-tenth to be paid one year from the date of the issuance of the contract of sale; and one-tenth annual…

When the entire purchase price of any state-owned tidelands or shorelands, otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200 to be sold, shall have been fully paid, the department shall certify the fact to the governor, and shall cause a deed signed by the governor and attested by the sec…

Each and every contract for the sale of, and each deed to, state-owned tidelands or shorelands, otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200 to be sold, shall contain the reservation contained in RCW 79.11.210. [ 2005 c 155 s 124; 2003 c 334 s 601; 1982 1st ex.s. c 21 s 33. Formerly …

The purchaser of state-owned tidelands or shorelands, otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200 to be sold, except in cases where the full purchase price is paid at the time of the purchase, shall enter into and sign a contract with the state to be signed by the commissioner on be…

Whenever the holder of any contract to purchase any state-owned tidelands or shorelands, otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200 to be sold, or the holder of any lease of any lands, except for mining of valuable minerals, or coal, or extraction of petroleum or gas, shall surrend…

Any first-class tidelands or shorelands remaining unsold, and where there is no pending application for purchase under claim of any preference right, when otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200 to be sold, shall be sold on the same terms and in the same manner as provided for t…

(1) In case any lessee of tidelands or shorelands, for any purpose except mining of valuable minerals or coal, or extraction of petroleum or gas, or the lessee's successor in interest, shall after the expiration of any lease, fail to purchase, when otherwise permitted under RCW 7…

Any sale or lease of state-owned tidelands or shorelands, otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200 to be sold, made by mistake, or not in accordance with law, or obtained by fraud or misrepresentation, shall be void, and the contract of purchase or lease, issued shall be of no ef…

(1) Upon platting and appraisal of first-class tidelands or shorelands as provided in this chapter, if the department deems it for the best public interest to offer the first-class tidelands or shorelands for lease, the department shall notify the owner of record of uplands front…

(1) The department is authorized to lease to the abutting upland owner any unplatted first-class tidelands or shorelands. (2) The department shall, prior to the issuance of any lease under the provisions of this section, fix the annual rent for the tidelands or shorelands and pre…

If any platted street, alley, waterway, or other public place is vacated by a replat as provided for in RCW 79.125.080 and 79.125.090, or any new street, alley, waterway, or other public place is so laid out as to leave unsold tidelands or shorelands between a new street, alley, …

All preference rights to purchase tidelands or shorelands, when otherwise permitted by RCW 79.125.200 to be purchased, awarded by the department, or by the superior court in case of appeal from the award of the department, shall be exercised by the parties to whom the award is ma…

Any accretions that may be added to any tract or tracts of tidelands or shorelands previously sold, or that may be sold, by the state, shall belong to the state and shall not be sold, or offered for sale, unless otherwise permitted by this chapter to be sold, and unless the accre…

(1) The legislature finds that maintaining public lands in public ownership is often in the public interest. However, when second-class shorelands on navigable lakes have minimal public value, the sale of those shorelands to the abutting upland owner may not be contrary to the pu…

(1) If application is made to purchase or lease any second-class shorelands and the department deems it for the best public interest to offer second-class shorelands for sale or lease, the department shall cause a notice to be served upon the abutting upland owner if the owner is…

In every case where the state of Washington had prior to June 13, 1913, sold to any purchaser from the state any second-class shorelands bordering upon navigable waters of this state by description where the water boundary of the purchased shorelands is not defined, the water bou…

It is the duty of the department to survey the second-class shorelands and in platting the survey to designate for public use all of the shorelands as in the opinion of the department is available, convenient, or necessary to be selected for the use of the public as harbor areas,…

It is the duty of the department to plat for the public use harbor area in front of the portions of the shorelands of Lake Washington sold as second-class shorelands by the state of Washington as in the opinion of the department are necessary for the use of the public as harbor a…

Immediately after establishing the harbor area provided for in RCW 79.125.520, it is the duty of the department to make a plat designating all first and second-class shorelands, not sold by the state of Washington, and to select for the use of the public out of the shorelands, or…

(1) When the department decides to sell any state-owned tidelands or shorelands, otherwise permitted by RCW 79.125.200 to be sold, it shall be the duty of the department to fix the date, place, and the time of sale, and no sale shall be had on any day which is a legal holiday. (2…

The department shall print a list of all state-owned tidelands and shorelands otherwise permitted by RCW 79.125.200 to be sold, giving appraised value, character of the land, and other information as may be of interest to prospective buyers. The lists must be issued at least four…

The department is authorized to expend any sum in additional advertising of the sale as shall be determined to be in the best interests of the state. [ 2005 c 155 s 114; 1982 1st ex.s. c 21 s 25. Formerly RCW 79.90.190.]

Any sale that has been offered, and for which there are no bids received shall not be reoffered until it has been readvertised as specified in RCW 79.125.600, 79.125.610, and 79.125.620. If all sales cannot be offered within the specified time on the advertised date, the sale sha…

All sales of state-owned tidelands and shorelands otherwise permitted by RCW 79.125.200 to be sold, shall be sold at public auction to the highest responsible bidder, on the terms prescribed by law and as specified in the notice provided, and no land shall be sold for less than t…

(1) To determine the "highest responsible bidder" under RCW 79.125.640, the department shall be entitled to consider, in addition to price, the following: (a) The financial and technical ability of the bidder to perform the contract; (b) Whether the bid contains material defects;…

(1) Sales by public auction under this chapter shall be conducted under the direction of the department or by its authorized representative. The department's representatives are referred to as auctioneers. (2) On or before the time specified in the notice of sale each bidder shal…

If any tideland or shoreland, when otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200, offered for sale is not sold, it may again be advertised for sale, as provided in this chapter, whenever in the opinion of the department it is expedient to do so. Whenever any person applies to the depa…